After a near two-decade hiatus, Ford has announced its return to the Formula 1 paddock as Red Bull’s primary engine supplier when new powertrain regulations take place in 2026.
The partnership revives Ford’s legacy within F1, and comes after talks of a potential partnership with Porsche broke down late last year, with Red Bull moving away from Honda as its primary engine supplier at the end of the 2025 season.
The recently unveiled agreement will see Ford produce powertrains for the Red Bull Racing and AlphaTauri F1 teams for the 2026 season, the first year of F1’s new engine regulations.
These updated engine rules stipulate that powertrains must run on 100 per cent sustainable fuel, alongside a greater share of the power mix from the electric motor from around 20 per cent today, up to 50 per cent to 350kW in 2026 and beyond.
While the company hasn’t been involved in F1 since the Jaguar team was sold to Red Bull in 2004, Ford is actually Formula 1’s third most successful engine supplier after its Ford-Cosworth DFV powertrains amassed 176 victories, the last of which came at the 2003 Brazilian Grand Prix. Legendary drivers of Ford-powered F1 cars included Michael Schumacher in the Bennetton Ford (above), Rubens Barrichello, Emerson Fittipaldi, and Sir Jackie Stewart.
Ford’s re-entry into the F1 world also comes at a time where the number of American-hosted Grand Prix races is at its highest-ever, with three Grand Prix races on the calendar this year, kicking off in Miami, followed by the Circuit of the Americas (COTA) and all-new Las Vegas Grand Prix. Executive chair, Bill Ford, said:
“Ford is returning to the pinnacle of the sport, bringing Ford’s long tradition of innovation, sustainability and electrification to one of the world’s most visible stages.”
Entering back into F1 is yet another area where Ford is investing in motorsports, with the American company involved in all types of the sport, from off-road Baja racing, the Australian Supercars, WRC, and NASCAR. Ford’s CEO, Jim Farley, said:
“We will be competing to win in F1, the pinnacle for motor sport, with Red Bull Racing. You will see the world’s most popular sports coupe, the Mustang, race from the grass roots to Australian Supercars to NASCAR to Le Mans.”
Formula 1’s president and CEO, Stefano Domenicali has stated that “the news today that Ford is coming to F1 from 2026 is great for the sport, and we are excited to see them join the incredible automotive partners already in F1”.
